The middling Minnesota Wild swung a deal for a veteran on Friday, acquiring center Erik Christensen and a conditional draft pick from the New York Rangers for forward Casey Wellman.

Christensen, 28, had a goal and four assists in 20 games for the Rangers this season, plus two goals and an assist in a five-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League's Connecticut Whale.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Alberta native has played in 358 NHL games with the Rangers, Anaheim, Atlanta and Pittsburgh, where he had his best season with 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) while Wild coach Mike Yeo was an assistant with the Penguins in 2006-07.

Wellman, 24, had two goals and five assists in 14 games with the Wild this season and 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 25 games with the AHL's Houston Aeros. He signed with the Wild as a free agent on March 16, 2010.

The Wild reassigned forward Chad Rau to the Houston Aeros to make room for Christensen on the NHL roster.